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Arcade Fire to Their Dress Code Critics: 'Please Relax'

After critics respond negatively to the request that fans wear formal attire or costumes to their arena tour next year, the band states it's not mandatory, just fun.

As Arcade Fireled up to the release of its latest record, Reflektor, with a number of undercover and smaller club gigs, fans were asked to dress up in costume or formal attire. Amid the album's elaborate rollout plan, it all added to the excitement.

Earlier this month, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the band's publicist, Steve Martin, recalled the scene headed to one of its New York City shows.

"The whole L train going out to that Montrose Avenue stop that night was filled with people in costume," he said. "And I'm sure anybody who wasn't an indie music fan, Arcade Fire fan, had no idea what was going on. But those [Arcade Fire] events … transformed the entire swath of city they were in for the night. It wasn't just when so and so comes to town and there's a lot of traffic on the 405 or whatever."

There weren't any public outcries then, but when people caught wind of the note at the Ticketmaster site for the band's upcoming arena tour that said, "Please wear formal attire or costume," criticism flooded the web. Now the band has responded with a note on their Facebook page, basically telling haters to take a chill pill.

To everyone really upset about us asking people to dress up at our shows … please relax. It's super not mandatory. It just makes for a more fun carnival when we are all in it together. So far these have been the best shows we have ever played.

After a few shows around Europe and the Live 105's Not So Silent Night and KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas 2013 radio holiday concerts in December, Arcade Fire's serious touring starts in January with Big Day Out in Australia and New Zealand, spanning into stateside and international dates that until the end of August. Tickets go on sale Friday.